Patch pocket construction

ABSTRACT

A construction for patch pockets permitting a reduction in the quantity of relatively costly garment materials required in production of a garment having patch pockets. The garment is formed with a slit extending into the area where the desired patch pocket is to be formed. The relatively costly garment material is cut away in the area underlying the patch pocket, and the patch pocket is positioned to overlie the cut away portion and secured to the garment along with a relatively inexpensive pocket backing material.

United States Patent r191 Breier 11] 3,823,420 [451 July 16,1974

[ PATCH POCKET CONSTRUCTION [76] Inventor: Marcus Breier, Edson St.,

Amsterdam, NY. 12010 [22] Filed: May 24, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 363,731

[52] US. Cl. 2/247 [51] Int. Cl -A4ld 27/20 [58] Field of Search 2/247, DIG. 2, 93, 94, 2/85 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,224,704 5/1917 Berger 2/85 2,383,746 8/1945 Shapiro 2,472,286 6/1949 Drasnin 2/247 Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert W. Fiddler [57] ABSTRACT A construction for patch pockets permitting a reduction in the quantity of relatively costly garment materials required in production of a garment having patch pockets. The garment is formed. with a slit extending into the area where the desired patch pocket is to be formed. The relatively costly garment material is cut away in the area underlying the patch pocket, and the patch pocket is positioned to overlie the cut away portion and secured to the garment along with a relatively inexpensive pocket backing material.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 PATCH POCKET CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to the art of patch pocket constructions, and more particularly to an improved patch pocket construction permitting a reduction in the amount of garment material required for producing a patch pocket, so that costs of garment production may be minimized, particularly where the garment material is relatively expensive, as in the case of leather, or the like. I Garments have been provided with pockets throughout the ages for both style and convenience purposes. Such pockets have generally been of two types, namely: 1) a slit pocket, and (2) a patch pocket. The slit pocket is formed by a slit in the garment, with a pocket bag formed of relatively inexpensive material secured on the inner side of the garment beneath the slit. Such slit pockets are generally unobtrusive, and are employed primarily to facilitate hiding of the pocket.

Patch pockets are found most desirable in providing desired style and fashion appeal, since the shape and positioning of the patch may readily be employed to enhance the style appeal of the garment. These patch pockets are formed by overlying a piece of material on the garment material in the area where the pocket is to be formed, and stitchingthe borders of the patch to the garment, leaving an opening to provide access between the patch and the underlying garment material. A pocket lining generally of an inexpensive material may, or may not, be employed as desired between the' pocket forming patch and the garment material.

Where relatively expensive materials such a leather are employed in fabricating the garment, the cost of the garment material represents a significant part of the cost of the garment, and any reduction in material requirements becomes significant.

Further, in employing patch pockets on garments formed of materials such as leather, the increase in garment weight resulting from the double ply of leather in the pocket area is undesirable. Additionally, where the pocket is lined, there is an additional undesired weight, and cost increase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION It is with the above considerations in mind that the present improved patch pocket construction has been evolved providing a patch pocket in which the garment material underlying the patch is removed to thereby reduce the quantity of relatively expensive garment material required in forming the garment, and permitting use of the removed material for other purposes.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to reduce the amount of garment materialrequired in forming a patch pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a patch pocket construction permitting a reduction in garment weight.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a patch pocket construction, simple of fabrication, and economical in cost.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by cutting out the garment material in the area underlying the position where the patch pocket is to be located; sewing a relatively inexpensive pocket lining or backing fabric to the garment to fill the cut out area; and positioning a patch pocket over the cutout area with an appropriate opening to provide entry to the pocket. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cut out material may be most readily removed adjacent a seam in the garment. This seam may be one naturally formed between adjacent garment segments, or may be specially formed by a slit cut in the garment, which is then seamed.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that relatively expensive garment materials such as leather may be saved when the garment is formedwith patch pock ets.

A further feature of the invention is that when employing relatively heavy material such as leather, the weight of the garment may be reduced when patch pockets are provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The specificdetails of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and their mode of functioning, will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment shown with patch pockets made according to the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the structual details of the pocket;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the garment and pocket components shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing an arrangement in which the pocket lining fabric is superposed along with the patch forming material on the top surface of the garment over the opening; and

FIG. 5 is a suggested plan view of a pattern layout showing how the garment segments may be laid out to obtain maximum material utilization with minimum waste.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be employed to designate like parts.

As illustratively shown in FIG. I, a leather coat shown with conventional arms 11, and patch pockets 12 made in accordance with the teachings of this invention shown provided in this garment 10. In the illustratively shown gannent 10, the patch pockets 12 are shown as provided in a lower skirt: segment of the garment. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the patch pocket construction here described may be employed in any part of the garment desired.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l-3, the patch pocket 12 is shown as formed in a garment segment 15 as: seen in FIG. 3 comprising two sectors 16 and 17 joined by a seam 18. extending vertically in the garment to an opening 19. It will be noted in FIG. 3 that the illustratively shown preferred shaping of this opening 29 results in a shaping of sectors 16 and 17 into a substantially U-shaped configuration, with the legs of the U as measured along line 18 in FIG. 3 substantially equal to the spacing between the legs of the U or the height of the. patch pocket opening 19 as viewed in FIG. 3.By virtue of this arrangement, a pattern layout as shown in FIG. 5 may be obtained producing maximum material utilization.

It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that this desired pattern layout shown in FIG. 5 is only one aspect of the invention, and that other aspects of the invention depending on the size of the pockets and their desired location on the garment will still produce a saving in material requirements, since with garments made of leather or the like, even the smallest material portion often finds utilization, as for example in connection with button hole bindings, gores, and other garment shaping inserts and finishing pieces.

The patch pocket 12 is, as is conventional, secured by stitching, or any other suitable technique, to the outer surface of the garment. The pocket liner or backing portion of a less expensive material than that of the garment material itself may be secured by stitching or the like to underlie the garment material and the patch, as shown in FIG. 2, or may be arranged sandwiched between the patch and the garment material, as shown in FIG. 4 i

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, there is a simplification of sewing machine operation involved in utilizing the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, since it is merely required to superpose the patch material over the pocket lining material and then superpose these superposed pieces over the opening, as shown in FIG. 4, thus minimizing the alignment problems involved in positioning the pocket liner or backing 20 beneath the opening 19 and the pocket patch I2 above the opening.

The necessary opening to provide access to the formed pocket is provided by leaving one edge of the patch unsecured to the garment fabric, or by slitting the patch. As illustratively shown, the patch is stitched to the garment along thelateral patch edges and bottom,

finishing line of stitching 21, as seen in FIG. 1.

OPERATION In use, the above described patch pocket construction, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, results in a saving in cost of relatively expensive material, by permitting removal of the relatively expensive primary or basic garment material normally underlying a patch pocket and thus lightening the garment, and permitting utilization of the removed material portion for other purposes in garment fabrication, as for example in connection with garment bindings, inserts, or the like.

Where the garment is made of leather, or fur, the garment which is usually made up of pieced skins will be made with a variety of sectors, and by forming the patch underlying the opening adjacent one of the seams joining the sectors, production facility will be attained. Further, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the garment shaping seams conventionally employed in such garments aid in facilitating the provision of the material saving pocket opening.

Thus, in fabricating the garment, a seam of the garment is provided to intercept the area where the patch pocket is to be provided. The pocket opening 19 is formed in the garment sector adjacent the seam of a size, slightly less than the size of the desired patch pocket, and shaped to be geometrically similar to that of the patch pocket. The patch pocket of a material like that of the garment such as leather or fur is contoured to cover the opening, and of a size to extend over the boundaries of the opening, and a pocket lining material of any one of a variety of materials conventionally employed in lining pockets, which is conventionally of a material which is significantly less expensive than the material of which the garment is fabricated, is then formed of a shape congruent to that of the pocket patch.

The patch 12 and pocket backing or lining 20 are then arranged to cover garment opening 19, and stitched or otherwise sewn to the garment material. An opening to provide access to the pocket is left along one edge of the patch in conventional fashion, or a slit may be cut in the patch. In the illustratively shown embodiment, the patch is left unstitched to the garment fabric along its top edge, as seen in FIG. I, and provided with finish stitching 21.

Where the pocket liner or backing material and patch material are arranged on opposite faces of the garment material, as shown in FIG. 2, the pocket liner or lining material may be of the same or greater size than the patch material. Where the patch material and pocket liner material are superposed on the same face of the garment material as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferred that the patch material be slightly larger in area than that of the lining material, so as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the lining material will not be exposed at the edges of the patch pocket, unless such exposure is desired for decorative purposes.

It is thus seen that a simple technique has been provided for reducing material requirements in garments formed of relatively expensive materials such as leather or fur where patch pockets are employed, with the removed material available for other use and serving to minimize costs, and reduce required weight.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it is understood that the invention may be embodied in a variety of forms within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

II. A patch pocket construction reducing garment cost in garments formed of relatively expensive materials, said pocket construction comprising: a garment section formed with an opening underlying the area where the patch pocket is to be positioned; a seam in said garment section leading from an edge of said garment section to the opening; a patch overlying said opening and secured to the garment section adjacent the opening; and a pocket liner of a material relatively inexpensive as compared to the cost of the garment material underlying said patch and forming a pocket with said patch in said opening.

2. A patch pocket construction as in claim I in which said seam extends vertically in said garment.

3. A patch pocket construction as in claim I in which the opening is formed in a garment section comprising two sectors of a generally U-shaped configuration with the length across the legs of the U equal to the space between the legs.

4. A patch pocket construction as in claim 1 in which said pocket liner underlies the opening.

5. A patch pocket construction as in claim 1, in which said patch and pocket liner overlie the opening.

6. A method for forming a patch pocket on a garment of relatively expensive material such as leather or fur 7. A method as in claim 6 in which said step of forming an opening in the garment material is performed by removing material in an area adjacent an edge to be seamed in said garment.

8. A method as in claim 6 in which the lining material is positioned beneath the patch over the opening.

9. A method as in claim 6 in which the lining material is positioned under the opening in the garment. 

1. A patch pocket construction reducing garment cost in garments formed of relatively expensive materials, said pocket construction comprising: a garment section formed with an opening underlying the area where the patch pocket is to be positioned; a seam in said garment section leading from an edge of said garment section to the opening; a patch overlying said opening and secured to the garment section adjacent the opening; and a pocket liner of a material relatively inexpensive as compared to the cost of the garment material underlying said patch and forming a pocket with said patch in said opening.
 2. A patch pocket construction as in claim 1 in which said seam extends vertically in said garment.
 3. A patch pocket construction as in claim 1 in which the opening is formed in a garment section comprising two sectors of a generally U-shaped configuration with the length across the legs of the U equal to the space between the legs.
 4. A patch pocket construction as in claim 1 in which said pocket liner underlies the opening.
 5. A patch pocket construction as in claim 1, in which said patch and pocket liner overlie the opening.
 6. A method for forming a patch pocket on a garment of relatively expensive material such as leather or fur comprising the steps of: forming an opening in a garment section underlying the area where the patch pocket is to be positioned with a seam extending from an edge of the garment section to the opening; forming a patch of a size to overlie and close said opening; and forming a pocket lining of a material less expensive than that of the garment material; and securing said pocket lining material and patch material to said garment section with the patch overlying the opening formed therein.
 7. A method as in claim 6 in which said step of forming an opening in the garment material is performed by removing material in an area adjacent an edge to be seamed in said garment.
 8. A method as in claim 6 in which the lining material is positioned beneath the patch over the opening.
 9. A method as in claim 6 in which the lining material is positioned under the opening in the garment. 